From the international partnership with NEOM revolutionising the world of ethical food, to the most eagerly awaited 44-handed dinner of the event – Norbert’s all-star team: the event confirms itself as a step forward in sustainability and innovation. Great expectations for the last stop in Salina in May.
After an intense and multi-faceted weekend running from 3 to 5 March, the second stop of CARE’s on Tour in Bruneck, the event conceived by Norbert Niederkofler and Paolo Ferretti that combines ethical gastronomy with other sectors (fashion, design, technology…) to talk about sustainability, came to an end. For the occasion, the co-founders chose to ‘come back home’, in South Tyrol.
Dedicated to Niederkofler, this second event, held between Bruneck and Plan de Corones (where AlpiNN-Food Space & Restaurant is located), was able to address current needs in the ethical-environmental sphere, with concrete answers. Surrounded by snowy peaks, more than 200 participants, 28 star chefs and top-level talks with the participation of various local and non-local companies from different fields, focused on the preservation of resources and territory choosing gastronomy as a meeting point.
The event’s highlight has been on Friday with CARE’s Talk at the Lumen Museum, which surprisingly included the participation of NEOM, the innovation hub in north-western Saudi Arabia. This way CARE’s co-founders took the chance to announce this international partnership with an extremely ambitious goal: to develop a new model of food production and supply in difficult conditions both in the Kingdom and around the world. Speakers at ‘A Taste of Change – looking into the future of gastronomy with NEOM‘ included Dr. Juan Carlos Motamayor, NEOM’s Executive Director of Food, who emphasised how this collaboration offers ‘an opportunity to spread innovative food practices that preserve our planet’, Nihal Felemban, chef and owner of The Lucky Llama, and Niederkofler: ‘Between @Care’s network of chefs and professionals and @NEOM’s cutting-edge technologies, we’re confident we can create impactful change that benefits the whole world.’
Announcement crowned by a dedicated dinner, prepared by Enrico Bartolini, who with 12 stars is Italy’s most starred chef and second in the world, Nick Bril, Norbert Niederkofler, Andrea Tortora and Nihal Felemban as NEOM Guest Chef.
Surely, the most eagerly awaited and stunning gastronomic activity was Norbert’s All – star team on Saturday evening: sold out for weeks, the dinner was attended by 22 star chefs who in recent years have joined Niederkofler in his kitchen at the St. Hubertus – Hotel Rosa Alpina, An Aman Partner Hotel, helping him to spread the sustainable ‘Cook the Mountain’ philosophy around the world. The result? A spectacular and unrepeatable 21-course menu prepared by 44 hands and served to 280 guests! Well done: Mattia Agazzi (Beverly hills cheese tart – “I love the Dolomits!”), Bernhard Aichner (Char, Granny Smith, Horseradish, Red Turnip, Schüttelbrot, Speck), Eugenio Boer (The deer, his history, his evolution), Simone Cantafio (“Between land and sea…” Langoustine poché in ita fragrant oil, gochujang emulsion, rustic salad and cold chard), Fabio Curreli (Navon cabbage and apple’s tartare, peel chips, fermented char roe and walnut water), Thomas Gantioler (Hand-cut simmentaler beef tartar, candied red turnip, sour cream, oats, yolk), Ariel Hagen (Buns with shiokoji marinated roe deer, Jerusalem artichoke and wild garlic salad, barbecued cabbage), Nicola Laera (Wipped cod, pil pil mousse, Tropea red onion and tapioca), Michele Lazzarini (Egg and rabbit), Matteo Metullio (Plin raviolo stuffed with monkfish, beurre blanc, horseradish and potato mousse), Dario Pandolfo (Carrots, sour cream and wild fennel), Mattia Pecis (Cuttlefish noodle, mountain broth and fermented lemon), Oliver Piras (Dill risotto, pistachio eggnog and marinated char), Tamara Rigo (Beverly Hills cheese tart– “I love the Dolomites!”), Diego Rossi (Piemontese veal carpaccio, lake Garda agon dressing and tonta gentile Langa’s hazelnut), Nino Rossi (Cold podolica tataki, black chestnuts, ribs, larch pine citronette), Giacomo Sacchetto (Borgna sheep, savoy cabbage, ginger mayoga, smoked mayonnaise and sunflower seeds), Alex Sallustio (Char tataki with buttermilk and almonds), Mauro Siega (Fish Frikadellen), Phillip Sigwart (Citrus fruit and milk), Alberto Toè (People’s language) e Andrea Tortora (Gianduja knödel).
Other crucial theme of the event was the future: during the talk ‘Future and Territory’ on Saturday at the Raiffeisen Forum in Bruneck, five between the event partners brought their considerations on stage indroduced by the two co-founders. Paolo Ferretti recalled the evolution of the ‘Cook the Mountain’ concept, turned into reality through numerous projects in recent years: ‘With CARE’s, since the beginning, we placed the emphasis on the concept of action. Collaboration and participation are essential to enable a common development and foster co-existence between nature, society and politics’. Then, the floor was passed to the partners: Riccardo Felicetti, CEO of Pastificio Felicetti, spoke about the company’s commitment to organic farming and preserving biodiversity in pasta production; Fabrizio Longo, Brand Director of Audi Italy, focused on the mobility of the future, emphasising the company’s commitment to building zero-emission cars through zero-emission production; Hannes Tauber, Marketing Manager of VOG explained how Marlene safeguards nature in South Tyrol through integrated and organic fruit cultivation; Artur Costabiei, PR Coordinator Central & Western Europe IDM, expressed the need to protect South Tyrol, presenting the realities that protect nature every day (over 50 hoteliers in the area have a sustainability certificate, 20. 000 farmers protect rural land), Nicolò Zambello, CEO and co-founder of Chef in Camicia and Acadèmia.tv, presented the first online sustainable cooking school in cooperation with CARE’s.
As every self-respecting CARE’s event, full diving into the territory could not be missed. The first activity was at the Lumen Museum at Plan de Corones, followed by the hydroelectric power station in Bruneck together with Alperia, discovering the technical aspects of turning water into energy, and concluding at the Genussbunker in San Lorenzo di Sebato, where master cheesemaker Hubert Stockner illustrated the behind-the-scenes aspects of traditional cheesemaking inside what was once a wartime bunker.
The stop in Bruneck could not do without the winter sport par excellence. The champions Manfred Mölgg and Kristian Ghedina played as forerunners for one of the most characteristic activity of the season: Skiing on top. Nature was also the backdrop for Sunday’s Trekking, followed by a tasty light lunch with South Tyrolean products at Almdorf Haidenberg directed by Chef Gerda Dorfmann, in San Lorenzo di Sebato. Those present were also able to enjoy local and sustainable cuisine at b.local in Brunico and Lerchner’s in Runggen in San Lorenzo di Sebato.strated the behind-the-scenes aspects of traditional cheesemaking inside what was once a wartime bunker.
For his commitment to sustainability, Jacopo Ticchi of Trattoria da Lucio won the coveted Young Ethical Chef Award promoted by Monograno Felicetti and supported by Acadèmia.tv. aspects of traditional cheesemaking inside what was once a wartime bunker.
As CARE’s latest editions taught us, a pinch of fun is one of the essential ingredients for a successful event. The DJ set with chef Nick Bril and the Midnight Spaghetti offered by Monograno Felicetti gave a whole new rhythm to Saturday evening.nal cheesemaking inside what was once a wartime bunker.
To support the project, we mention Audi as title partner, Sviluppo Città di Brunico, Kronplatz, Südtirol – IDM, Alperia, BWT, Kettmeir, Lavazza, Marchesi 1824, Marlene, Miele, Monograno Felicetti, as main partner and Acadèmia.tv, Agrimontana, Broggi, Pompadour, Service Works and Stone Island as official partners and suppliers of the event.
Now, we just have to CARE’s on Tour’s last stop in Salina. From 25 to 27 May, the revelance of water in such complex territories and the efficient use of natural resources and materials will take on a central role.
An event that will amaze us once again, reminding the importance of innovating, while respecting the territory.